Thursday, May 31, 2012

On May 29, thirty national disability organizations lead by
Not Dead Yet
issued a letter to the Dr. Phil Show, criticizing
its April 13th segment entitled “Deadly
Consequences.”

According to the letter, the segment
“presented the idea that parents should be able to euthanize their children who
have intellectual disabilities” and did so in
“such an extremely unbalanced manner as to amount to a promotion of such a
deadly proposition.”

National organizations signing onto the
letter include ADAPT, the American Association of People with Disabilities,
Autistic Self Advocacy Network, Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Disability
Rights Education & Defense Fund, Easter Seals, National Association of the
Deaf, National Disability Rights Network, Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered
(SABE), The Arc of the United States United Spinal. Over sixty state and local
disability organizations also joined in the letter.

The organizations call upon Phil McGraw and the Dr. Phil
Show “to publicly apologize for the ‘Deadly
Consequences’ segment and to give equal time to individuals with
intellectual disabilities and organizations advocating their equal
rights.”

“This segment was such a horrific assault
on people with intellectual disabilities that ignoring it would be a dangerous
mistake,” said Stephen Drake, Not Dead Yet’s research analyst. “Dr. Phil even brought in Kevorkian’s former attorney,
Geoffrey Fieger, to explain why parents should be allowed to order a lethal
injection for their disabled children.”

Not Dead Yet copied the letter to some of
the larger advertising sponsors of the Dr. Phil
Show, including XXX.

On May 18, the The Arc of the United
States, which is described as “the nation’s largest organization serving and
advocating on behalf of people with I/DD, with a network of over 700 chapters
across the country,” issued an open
letter criticizing the “Deadly Consequences”
segment as well. The Arc letter asked that Dr.
Phil “plan another show that would demonstrate this history, illustrating
how people with severe disabilities who were previously relegated to
institutions have defied all expectations.”

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Imagine that your daughter, whom you raised from infancy, was convicted of forgery. You certainly wouldn’t be surprised if she were prosecuted for that felony and, while it would be heartbreaking, you’d expect her to be punished, probably even imprisoned. Now let’s add one more element to this real-life scenario: How would you feel if the penalty imposed on your 30-year-old child – who suffers from multiple sclerosis – was deportation to another country where she knows no one and doesn’t speak the native language?

I am not making this up. It is happening today. It is obviously devastating to the woman facing a jarringly disproportionate punishment for the crime she committed, but it is also much more than that. It is a vivid example of the unfairness and inequality that sometimes exist in the world of adoption.

What may be most unnerving is the fact that this is not an aberration; while it is hardly commonplace, it has happened again and again. And there has been virtually no media attention, or public outrage, or embarrassment on the part of immigration officials, or concerted effort to reform law and policy so that people who were adopted into their families are placed on a level playing field with their biological counterparts.

Here’s the core of the case: Kairi Abha Shepherd was adopted from India into the United States in 1982, when she was three months old. Her mother, a single woman in Utah, died of cancer eight years later, so Shepherd went on to live with guardians for the remainder of her childhood. More details are in this news story from last week: http://bit.ly/KzkIP5.

In short, Shepherd’s adoption took place before 2000, when a new federal statute conferred automatic U.S. citizenship on most children adopted internationally into this country; the law included a retroactive provision, but she was adopted a few months before it kicked in. So the adults in her life were supposed to fill out paperwork for her to become a citizen – but, like many others, they either didn’t know or, for whatever reasons, never got around to doing it.

As a consequence, when Shepherd was convicted in 2004 of forgery to feed a drug habit, U.S. authorities did what they do to many felons who don’t have documents showing they are Americans: They started deportation proceedings, which are now coming to a head. It doesn’t seem to matter that Shepherd has lived as an American for all but a few months of her life, and it is an extraordinary price to pay for a bureaucratic oversight made by the adults who raised her.

Again, this is not an aberration. Last year, a 31-year-old mother of three, who was adopted from Korea when she was eight months old, was held at a federal detention center in Arizona and faced deportation after a second theft conviction. It’s unclear what happened to the woman, who was not named (http://bit.ly/KiQ65Q) but the bottom line was the same: Her adoption took place before the period covered by the Child Citizenship Act of 2000, and neither she nor her parents ever applied for citizenship for her. So, even though she had lived in the U.S. nearly all her life, had given birth to three children on our nation’s soil, had never as much as visited Korea and didn’t speak the language, federal authorities wanted to send her “back.”

There are more examples, too, dating back at least 15 years; indeed, in my book Adoption Nation, I write about a young man who was adopted into the U.S. as a child, convicted of car theft and credit card fraud, and deported at age 25 to Thailand, where (same story) he knew no one and didn’t speak the native tongue. Can you imagine anything comparable happening to someone born into his or her family, whatever the offense? Of course not.

People who break the law should unequivocally pay an appropriate price for their offenses. But I think it can fairly be argued that the reason some are being ejected from the only country they’ve ever known is not because of the crime they’ve committed – but because they were adopted.

This feels grievously wrong. We should be shocked, we should be outraged, and we should do whatever is necessary to halt the cases already in progress and to prevent this from ever happening again.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

"Creating our next course on open adoption is taking longer than expected, but I received a good reminder to be patient! We here at Heart of the Matter truly do believe in putting out quality courses that are worth taking!"-Katie Sharp, Co-owner/Presenter

Congratulations to our Hopscotch family on a flight home today with their
adorable baby girl!!! Congratulations to our other two families, one granted
a visa and will be flying home tomorrow with a handsome baby boy and another
granted Execution for their VERY sweet little baby boy. We are thrilled for
all of you!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

I am extremely pleased to share, the Council on Accreditation (COA) has granted Hopscotch Adoptions, Inc.’s renewal application for Hague Accreditation. Hopscotch is licensed in North Carolina and authorized in the state of New York. If you are in need of home study or post adoption service in either state, we would welcome the opportunity to provide these services.

Monday, May 14, 2012

On the 25th of April the Georgian Association co-hosted the
Advocacy Day for Central and East European Coalition (CEEC). The coalition
unites 18 Diaspora organizations, representing more than 20 million
Americans.

During the Advocacy Day the member organizations and
constituencies shared with the United States Congress and Administration the
issues of pressing priority for their communities and the countries of Central
and Eastern Europe. The issues included support to Open Door Policy of NATO,
Security in the region, Democracy, Human Rights and the Rule of Law, U.S.
Assistance, Visa Waiver Program, the establishment of a national Black Ribbon
Day to commemorate those who suffered under the ravages of the Soviet Communist
and Nazi regimes.

The Advocacy Day included briefings, meetings with the
members of the Congress and senior staff, and follow up meeting with the
National Security Staff at White House on April 26. The April 25 program started
with the meeting with the Georgian ambassador to the United States Mr. Temuri
Yakobashvili. Later six groups of the CEEC community representatives held more
than 25 meetings on Capitol Hill. The Georgian Association in the U.S. was
actively involved in organization of the Advocacy Day and was represented at the
meetings by Mamuka Tsereteli, the president of the association, Nino Japaridze,
Member of the Board, Ia Meurmishvili, Executive Director, Nino Aduashvili, Tia
Beritashvili Psarakis, Noel Brockett.

The major focus of the Georgian community representatives
included security guarantees for Georgia, support to open door policy of NATO,
maintaining US assistance to Georgia supporting democratic and economic
development. The next Advocacy Day for CEEC is planned for the Fall 2012. The
Georgian Association in the United States will make sure that the issues
important to the Georgian community are prominently covered in future advocacy
events as well.

Sincerely,

Nino Aduashvili
Executive
Director
Georgian Association in the United States

THE GEORGIAN ASSOCIATION IS A NONPARTISAN
NATIONWIDE MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION OF GEORGIAN-AMERICANS AND FRIENDS OF GEORGIA
THAT ADVOCATES FOR GEORGIA AND GEORGIAN ISSUES IN THE U.S. IT IS THE OLDEST
ORGANIZATION IN THE US REPRESENTING THE GEORGIAN-AMERICAN
COMMUNITY.

Monday, May 7, 2012

MORROCO: Congrats to our Hopscotch family on their Kefala late
Friday afternoon! He is such an adorable little one. We are thrilled all
three families currently in Morocco, are moving along and hope they will be
home soon with their three new babies.

Have you considered adopting
a child from Morocco? There are so many boys, infant and older, that need
forever families. If you are practicing Islam and interested in building
your family, contact us today. If you are not currently a practicing Muslim,
but are sincere in learning more about the faith and committing to Islam, we
are also happy to share more about this wonderful program. Contact heather@hopscotchadoptions.org

BULGARIA: Hopscotch family united with their beautiful toddler
daughter today!! Hope to post pictures soon.

Be sure to check our
website's Bulgaria program page for the latest updates on the IAC reports.
The IAC reports keep you informed on how many children are referred monthly
to international adoption and the general health of the referred children.
Hopscotch's waiting child page also has photos and mini-profiles of children
that need your family today! For more information contact heather@hopscotchadoptions.org.

The Fifth Annual Report to
Congress on Public Law 109-95, The Assistance for Orphans and Other
Vulnerable Children in Developing Countries Act of 2005 has been released.
The report highlights continued efforts made by the U.S. Government to improve
coordination on behalf of vulnerable children. In keeping with the PL 109-95
mandate to coordinate and disseminate evidence-based best practices, the
Secretariat is making strides to firmly and strategically integrate children's
developmental protection within health, education and other sectors, thereby
laying the groundwork for coordinated interventions that more effectively
address the complex nature of children's risks and opportunities. The report
also captures key outputs from the recent U.S. Government Evidence Based Summit on
Protecting Children outside of Family Care. The full report can be found here (PDF).

Friday, May 4, 2012

Haiti’s adoption authority, l’Institut du Bien Être Social et de Recherches (IBESR), informed U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince that it will suspend processing of new adoption cases effective May 7, 2012. IBESR indicated that the suspension will enable it to expedite processing on its backlog of pending cases and begin internal restructuring to bring it closer to international standards. The U.S. Embassy has been assured the suspension is temporary and that IBESR will continue to process all cases that are filed before May 7.

If you have questions about the status of your adoption case, please work closely with your adoption agency or facilitator. Please refer to our website at adoption.state.gov for updates on the temporary suspension.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Important Notice - New Application Fees: Non-immigrant and immigrant
visa application fees will change on April 13, 2012. The fees for most
non-immigrant visa applications and Border Crossing Cards will increase,
while all immigrant visa application fees will decrease.

All visa applicants must pay the fee amounts in effect on the day they
pay, including immigrant visa applicants who pay fees to the National
Visa Center (NVC). Fees for Adoptive families are reduced from $400 to
$230.

Fees that will decrease are not refundable - If you paid a visa fee
before April 13, 2012 and that fee decreased, we cannot give you a
refund.

Immediate relative and family preference applications (processed on the
basis of an approved I-130, I-600 or I-800 petition): $230

MOROCCO: Not ONE, but TWO Kefalas issued today!!!! Congratulations
to Hopscotch families. One beautiful baby girl and one beautiful baby boy.
We are thrilled for you and wish you a speedy process to bring your
children home. We'll post again when they are home.

This spring has been an exciting season of growth for SPOON - see below for a link to SPOON's newest online nutrition resource, news of our team's recent trip to China, and diverse (and delicious) new info for families of adopted kids.

In the midst of all of this, our hearts are centered on Kazakhstan, where our work began. This month, our dream of reaching children in KZ baby houses with improved nutrition comes true - we'll be on hand for the unveiling of a new national baby house menu based on our groundbreaking study and advocacy there. And we're planning for the long-term to ensure that the new menu is effectively implemented. Read more below!

We are so grateful for the opportunity to improve nutrition for these little ones - and we couldn't do it without your support. Thank you!

Cindy and MishelleSPOON Co-Founders

The Latest Nutrition Profile

'From the day Zachary came home, he struggled with getting enough quality sleep...Several parents told me about the connection between low ferritin levels and sleep problems...and encouraged me to have him tested. Zachary's ferritin levels came back at an 11. They should be 30 or higher...' Read more…

Recently, in the Nutrition by Country section, we have added comprehensive nutritional information for children adopted from Mexico. Included in this section is a snapshot of the diverse, flavorful cuisine of Mexico, some deficiencies common among children born in Mexico, and a few delicious and nutritious recipes to try, like Mexican Brown Rice and Black Bean Tostadas. Yum!

The Orphan Nutrition Project

Kazakhstan: We began our work in Kazakhstan with the dream of creating change on a national scale. That dream is coming to fruition on May 29th and 30th, when a team of SPOON staff and advisors will be in Almaty to share in the announcement of a new nationwide diet for Kazakhstan's baby houses and to facilitate an initial training for baby house directors from across Kazakhstan and four other Central Asian countries. The new menu and feeding norms, based on SPOON's work in Kazakhstan over the past five years, have the potential to improve the lives of thousands of children without families to call their own. Stay tuned for reports from the field, later this month!

Our global reach: Springboarding from our orphan nutrition work in Kazakhstan, and as part of our "A Child's Best Start" partnership with Joint Council, SPOON staff members recently returned from their first trip to learn about child welfare institutions in China. Through initial observations and meetings, our team began to develop meaningful relationships and opportunities that will lead to improved nutrition for so many orphaned children in China.OrphanNutrition.org goes live: SPOON is excited to announce the launch of OrphanNutrition.org – the companion website to our work with Joint Council to improve nutrition and feeding for children living without permanent parental care. At the heart of SPOON's mission is the understanding that proper nutrition is critical to every child’s growth and development, so we’re excited about the role that this new resource will play in helping caregivers meet the nutritional needs of orphaned children around the globe. Read more…

May Highlights

Join us in sending well wishes to SPOON co-founder Mishelle Rudzinski, who is leaving this week for China - she'll return in a few weeks, bringing home a sweet new addition to her family. Congratulations, Mishelle and big sister Bakha!

On May 3rd, hear from members of the SPOON team in an informative webinar: Introduction to Nutrition and Feeding for Internationally Adopted Children will take place on Thursday, May 3 from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CDT. Register here.

Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders may benefit from medications to address Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other co-morbid conditions. However, children with a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder present in a more complex way than do children in the general population. A comprehensive understanding of how ADHD should be identified and treated in children affected by prenatal exposure to alcohol is essential for professionals working with these children in order to develop an effective treatment plan including medication in combination with appropriate therapeutic interventions.

CEUs are available for social workers through the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB). Each webinar is worth one (1) CEU and requires the successful completion of a ten-question post-test (sold separately).

NTI Upstream's webinars are designed to help individuals and communities translate clinically-based research into strategies that serve families and children affected by prenatal substance exposure.This first series of webinars focuses on advanced topics in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. It has been developed with experienced clinicians, attorneys, child welfare, adoptive and foster parents, and social service professionals in mind.

June 25 - Infant Mental Health and FASD: How do Children with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Present in Infancy? - REGISTER NOW

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

By Craig Juntunenhuffingtonpost.com | May 1, 2012"It was probably the closest thing we'll ever have to giving birth."

After months of paperwork, interviews, emails and endless anticipation, the magical moment for Lori LeRoy and her husband Nick had finally arrived. Lori and Nick received arguably the most important piece of mail of their lifetimes. It was an adoption referral on their soon-to-be son, Nate, a Vietnamese boy who was given up by his sick and impoverished mother when he was two days old. They received a photo of Nate and an instant love flowered.

For any parent, the first moment you see your child is indescribable. I will never forget the feeling I had when I saw my three adopted children from Haiti for the first time. I was no longer a man who had no interest in being a father. My place in the world was with these kids, and my role was to love and protect them regardless of what happened.

Today, courage and strength have replaced love and desire as the most important characteristics for people who take on the international adoption process. Unfortunately for many prospective parents, including the LeRoys, the expected 18- to 24-month adoption process has turned into a maddening and unnecessary four or five year ordeal. Every day they wait, their son or daughter loses another critical day of physical and social development.

Despite the best intentions of those committed to international adoption, the debilitating process has taken adoption off the table as an option for orphans worldwide. In situations where children already start a step behind, don't they deserve as many options as possible? We've reached a critical point in time where a national conversation must start about doing better for these kids.

In 2011, more than 9,300 children were adopted from overseas by Americans. That's a steep drop from 2004, when close to 23,000 children were adopted by Americans. That astounding decline over seven years is the result of several factors outside the control of families trying to provide children with a safe, loving home.

A closer look at the nearly four-year process that the LeRoys endured to bring Nate home is instructive. In 2008, the U.S. raised red flags about alleged fraud in Vietnam's adoption process. Alarmed, and frankly offended, by these largely unsubstantiated claims, Vietnam decided to shut down adoptions to the U.S., stalling cases that were already in motion and extending the adoption process for the LeRoys and others. While the politics played out, Nate waited an extra two years in an institution before arriving at his new home in the U.S.

What is more concerning is that we've seen similar situations play out with other countries, including Cambodia and Ethiopia. The U.S. government preaches compliance with the Hague Convention, the international treaty that establishes practice standards for international adoptions, as the magic bullet solution. No one doubts that safeguards and protections in the process are important; however, years pass as countries implement reform measures, leaving children to languish in institutions for that much longer.

We have to wonder if our policies align with acting in the best interests of these children. As a world leader, the U.S. has a vital role to play in ensuring that international standards are being met, but in doing so, we must maintain an open dialogue and take a proactive approach to working with countries to develop the appropriate programs and policies that foster safe, ethical and efficient adoptions. Ultimately, we have to strike a balance of maintaining safeguards, but also ensuring that we're moving forward expeditiously.

We have recently seen the benefits of the U.S. working in partnership with another country to build child welfare capacities. Guatemala, previously known as one of the worst actors in international adoption due to corruption and fraud, has made great strides during the last two years to develop a system that serves its citizens and provides options for children in need. Guatemalan officials have committed to moving forward 300 adoption cases that have been stalled for years. A culture of adoption is also being cultivated at the grassroots level. There is a long way for Guatemala to go, but we're seeing what can happen when two countries make a commitment to doing what's necessary -- and right -- for orphans.

There will always be many highs and lows in the international adoption process. But the staggering decline in international adoptions from the U.S. indicates that something is not working here. We must realize the promise in international adoption, just like the LeRoys and thousands of families across the country have done. The question becomes: why aren't we doing more to make international adoption a less problematic option for children in need of a home and families with room in their hearts?

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About

Robin Sizemore, Executive Director of Hopscotch Adoptions Inc, was recognized in 2012 by the Winston-Salem Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc as a person who has "Transform Lives and Impacted the Community". Among five other recipients, Robin Sizemore, was recognized in the area of "International Awareness" for her work and advocacy of children through international adoption and aid. Robin was also the recipient of the "Angels in Adoption" award in 2008, in recognition of her service to children since 1995.